On the boys side, much of the buzz statewide has surrounded the Kings' talented 6-foot-9 senior Damen Bell-Holter. The senior originally from Hydaburg will play NCAA Division I basketball at Missouri State next season and has lit up everyone he's gone against this season.

He dropped 27 and 23 points in two wins over defending state champions Wasilla.

Bell-Holter also earned MVP honors in the Golden Heart tournament in Fairbanks after he averaged 26.3 points in wins over Bethel, Lathrop and North Pole.

Bell-Holter can score both inside and outside and must be accounted for at all times. He's also a solid rebounder.

In addition to the college-bound senior, Jace Scudero and Simeon Schum can also score with regularity while Gunnar Farstad, Kevin Manabat and Erik Pihl bring experience.

Six of the Kings' wins came against Class 3A competition and they've yet to play a top-five Class 4A opponent. Juneau-Douglas represents Kayhi's toughest challenge to date.

The Crimson Bears are coming off a pair of losses to Colony, including a gut-wrenching 53-47 defeat Sunday in which JDHS squandered a 12-point fourth quarter lead.

Juneau has lost six of its last seven games, but has played arguably the toughest schedule in Alaska. Four of Juneau's eight defeats came against Class 4A teams ranked in the top five and another one came against the No. 3 Class 3A team, Heritage Christian.

Offensively, Juneau-Douglas enjoys a diverse attack. Slashing guard Dominique Brinson leads the team with 13.4 points per game while forward Ryan "Bubba" Larson ranks third in scoring with 11.5 points per outing.

Juneau's most consistent player may be forward Eric Gross. He's posted 12 points and six rebounds per game.

Coach Steve Potter's team played well in stretches, but struggled to start quickly and finish strong.

If Juneau can show the poise to play its best in the first and last four minutes against the Kings, the Bears may put themselves in the driver's seat for a top-seed in the Southeast Region Tournament.